Summary

The article discusses the potential benefits of monetizing platforms like Unsplash to fairly compensate photographers and content creators for their work.

Abstract

The author reflects on the value of high-quality images provided by Unsplash, a platform where photographers share their work for free. The article questions the sustainability of this model, drawing parallels to the concept of the "starving artist," and suggests that monetizing such platforms could lead to better compensation for creators, potentially improving the quality of content and creating a viable income stream. The author proposes a subscription model similar to Medium's, where users pay a monthly fee for unlimited access to images, arguing that this would be a fair exchange considering the income generated by users through the use of these images. The article also entertains the idea of a new platform with monetized content or a premium membership option within existing platforms.

Opinions

The author believes that photographers and content creators on Unsplash deserve compensation for their time, effort, and resources invested in creating high-quality images.
There is an underlying concern that the current model, which relies on artists giving away their work for free, perpetuates the undervaluation of art and contributes to the concept of the "starving artist."
The author suggests that monetization could motivate creators to produce even better content and attract more artists to the platform.
A monthly subscription model is proposed as a way to ensure that content creators receive some form of compensation for their work.
The author is in favor of creating an additional revenue stream for artists, which could potentially reduce unemployment and improve their standard of living.
The article implies that users of the platform, who often use the images to generate their own income, should contribute to the creators' livelihood through a subscription fee.
The author expresses a personal willingness to pay for a subscription to Unsplash, viewing it as a way of giving back to the community of creators.
The article opens the discussion to the audience, asking readers to consider their stance on compensating artists for their work on free platforms.

What If Unsplash Gets Monetised?

Just think about it…

We have all been getting pictures from there. For free!!!

High quality, ace images that help complement our stories.

The photographers and content creators on Unsplash invest a lot of their time, effort, gifts, creativity and obviously other resources such as equipment to give us the images they do. They take images of exotic places having spent their money and time to go there so that we don’t have to and then make them available to us gratis!

Imagine if Medium wasn’t monetised. Would you still keep writing? At least with the same zeal, spending your time and energy to make your stories the best they could be?

I know many of us write to express ourselves, as therapy, to reach out and among other reasons to immortalise our thoughts on the internet.

But chances are if medium wasn’t monetised, not many will keep writing at least with the same frequency and energy because the income however little is a form of motivation in itself. .

We all are aware of the concept of the starving artist.

Artists since time immemorial have been under appreciated and under compensated for their art. Literally giving it out for free.

Has this shaped the concept of ‘free art' where artists on many platforms give out their creations copyright free? And we as society take it shamelessly. Are these platforms just another way of telling them to, ‘do it for exposure’ ?

Since it is easier to compensate them in 2020 with the advances in technology, why would we still be taking their art for free? And Because most of us are using their art to help us generate an income, is it not unfair to not compensate them for it?

Let Unsplash and other such platforms be monetised. Let’s value art, artists, their talents and their creations.

This could help push the limits to better quality images, it could attract more creatives to post on there, could help reduce the concept of the starving artist while creating an extra revenue stream for content creators or a full time job for photographers and other artists. In the long run it could reduce unemployment and increase the standards of living for them.

Just like Medium, a $5 monthly subscription should give unlimited access and usage to images.

The other rules should apply as is.

This way the wonderful content creators on Unsplash and other free platforms could get some form of compensation however small for their talents, efforts and creativity.

Alternatively, another platform with the same concept but with monetised content could be created. Or a premium membership on such platforms that could give a users access to premium content at a fee.

For all the utility I have personally derived from using the images on Unsplash, an example being the image I have used for this article, I would gladly pay a subscription fee to gain access and usage to other images in the future.

I would just be returning a hand really.

What about you?